Condensate collector



in. LEAR 3nventor Patented Oct; 5, 1937 N .v R cam l v 'coNn usA'rE coLLto'roa raiinp'. L ar, arren, N.'1Y.,assignorto FedgersManufacturlng.Company, Inc., Buflalo,

{I'lriisiiiventibd relates to impro-yements in con- The =inventionQisndirected madame which;

1 I5 *servesto protect the commodities stored in a Di armamen 1936,Serial Not 87,409" cl s-Q r01. 62-103)? densate collectorsiwhich areused with refrigera -lrefrigerateduroom from condensate drippage from,

the overlyingycoil, and which additionally acts 9 i todirectthe air insuch manner as to inducean idealconvectivetflowthereofsno t plates. theconstruction of simpleunits which may beQcut to the desired lengthand-assembled one 5: 15 with .the other toany desired size,iwith a.minimum :expenditure f time"and labor Inasmuch Inyrecognition 'of lthepractical supplying devices of this nature rionthe entire,

range of coil-sizes, the present invention. contem asgthelargerisizesjof such fabricated structures 1 cupy. a minimum of, space.-

f Inthe r a '25 Fig. l isal perspective viewof the collector; v

through the collector;

oyerlapping assembly thereof.

'Ihe collector of Figs. l=3 consists o f v superimposed. receiyenunitsfabricated chiefly of deflectors]lll which preferably are identical in ftion in cross section, the sides or. legs 1 l of said formationterminating in angular flanges i2 which form marginal; troughstherewith. It is i 45 thisstructurebe approximately 90 degrees to'pertmit its fabrication on a simple brake, without the necessity of specialdies or fixtures.

. t fltively jwhich may be of similar angular construc tion. Thehorizontal legs of the supports I3 and I4 *are provided with spacedlocating sockets l5 forreceiving the trough formations of thedeflectors. Each socket is formed by striking a pair I -55 of opposedangular lugs l5 and ll outot the i t are extremely difiicult to handlefor shippin haveiprbvi'ded an assembly method.which, may go beperformedbyunskilled, laborga'nd further; I i havewformed the units sothat when shipped in n c dqwn iorm. th a be ne ted 2 is-am enlarged.cross sectional Fig3 is anlenlarged perspeetivevie vv of one .venclof'axg supporting rail for the collector strucectional view of anotherembjodi- 1 Biseside viewef a deflectonshowingthe 401 size andshapenEachldeflector; is or ridge formapreferred that the flange and ridgeangles of The deflectors of the upper and lower units are t secured totransverse supports I 3 and [4 respecl flanges lhthus securelypositioningthe deflectorsonthesupports it v The marginal deflectors, [9of the lower row may be of special formation; eachconsisting of a. body2| terminating in -a flange 22 which is similarto thetrough formation ofthe deflectorl0. Theextremities of the lower supports l4 are. formedwith angular wings 20. which support the bodies 2|, while the flanges 22are engaged by theears l8. 1 t

The deflectors securedvto thelower supports I4 are positioned directlyunder the spaces between the deflectors of the upper unit, and the two;rows are assembled in this position by bolts 23 and interposed pipespacers 24, which connect and properlyt space the pairs oi supports ofthe two An end pair oi supports 26 and 21 are provided with gutterformations and 29, while otherwisethey are similar. to the supports 13and I4. It will be observed that the extremities of the troughs of thedeflectors III are disposed so as to discharge lnto the gutters which inturn are provided with discharge pipes 31 and 32, the former beingdirected into the gutter 21, and the latter leading to asuitable drain.i t 1 The collector is positioned undera coil 0, as shown in Fig. 2, bysuspension members 34 which are iormed with hooks 35 engaging the tubesT of;the coi1,and threadedextremities 36 which engage through holes 31formed in the; upper sup rts l3. jNuts 38 on the members engage thesuppcrts, and they are adjustablento permit properspacing oi thecollector fromthe 'coil including a slight downwardpitch so thatdrainage 1 into the gutters 28 and 29 is obtainede i i i 40 i In thesecond embodiment of the invention (Fig. 4) ,the upperrow of deflectorsmay be identical to; the deflectors ill of the first embodiment. Thelower row of deflectors 40, however, are of channel construction, havingvertically disposed flanges 4| which form a trough structure. Singlesupports 42 serve toconnect the units, and each support is provided.with a horizontal leg 43 Referring to Fig. 6, it will be observed thateach deflector may be formed of several lengths 48, which may beoverlapped, as indicated by the numeral 49, in the direction ofdrainage. This construction is utilized inthe longer types of collectors(Fig. 1) and they may be assembled as easily as the shorter collectors,since the supports may be positioned beneath the overlapped joints withthe ears I8 bent over the superimposed lengths to provide a rigidassembly.

In operative position, it is preferred that the upper deflector unit bemounted in close proximity to the overlying coil C so that the cooledair may flow directly down the angular sides of the deflectors anddeposit a large portion of its moisture content thereon, which will bedirected to the troughs and finally to the drain of the upper unit.Moisture will also be deposited on the lower surfaces L of thedeflectors, but the angle to the vertical of the ridge structure issufliciently great to permit the water tooling thereto and finally dropoff the edge of the troughs and into the troughs of the underlying unit.

-The deflectors of the lower unit, aside from receiving moisture fromthe surfaces L of the upper unit, also function as condensers anddeliver the water to their common gutter.

The funnel-like openings between the adjacent deflectors, as formed bythe ridge structures, have been found to enhance greatly the convectiveair flow through the coil, since, first, the deflectors distribute theair and cause a uniform downward flow, and second, the air in transit iscaused to traverse the relatively warm condenser surfaces of thedeflectors'in a natural flow without blocking at any point in the entirecollector area.

I claim:

1. A collector adapted to be suspended beneath a refrigerationevaporator comprising superimposed receiver units, each unit beingformed of a plurality of elongated individual deflectors disposed inspaced parallel relation, each deflector 2. A collector adapted to besuspended beneath a refrigeration evaporator comprising a receiving unitformed of a plurality of elongated individual deflectors disposed inspaced parallel relation,

each deflector having a medial crest and'downward sloping sides toprovide a ridge, upward bent flanges providing troughs at the extremityof each ridge,'and a second receiving unit under said first unit havingspaced deflectors disposed beneath the spaces between the deflectors ofthe upper unit and formed with marginal flanges.

3. A collector adapted to be suspended beneath a refrigerationevaporator comprising a receiving unit formed of a plurality ofelongated individual a refrigeration evaporator comprising a receivingunit formed of a plurality of elongated sheet metal individualdeflectors disposed in spaced parallel relation, each deflector having amedial crest and downward sloping sides disposed at.

substantially right angles to each other to provide a ridge, marginalflanges on each side disposed substantially perpendicular thereto andproviding troughs on each extremity of the ridge, and a second receivingunit under said first unit having spaced deflectors disposed beneath thespaces between the deflectors of the upper unit.

5. A collector adapted to be suspended beneath a refrigerationevaporator comprising a receiving unit formed of a plurality ofindividual deflectors disposed in spaced parallel relation, eachdeflector formed of a plurality of lengths of sheet metal formationsbent to provide symmetrical structures having a medial crest anddownward sloping sides and upward bent marginal flanges providingtroughs at the extremity of each side, said lengths of each deflectorbeing overlapped with each other at their extremities, supportsextending transversely across the bottom of the deflectors at theoverlapping portions of each, sockets formed in the supports forreceiving the trough formations of each deflector, securing means forconnecting each socket to each overlying trough, and a second receivingunit under said first unit and having spaced deflectors disposed beneaththe spaces between the deflectors of the flrst unit.

6. A collector adapted to be suspended beneath a refrigerationevaporator comprising a receiving unit formed of a plurality ofindividual deflectors disposed in spaced parallel relation, eachdeflector having a medial crest and downward sloping sides terminatingin upward bent marginal flanges forming troughs therewith, transversesheet metal supports disposed beneath the deflectors at spacedintervals, sockets formed in the supports for receiving the troughformations of each deflector, a projecting ear on each socket adapted tobe bent about the edge of each flange to secure the deflectors to thesockets, and a second receiving unit under said first unit and havingspaced deflectors disposed beneath the spaces between the deflectors ofthe first unit.

JOSEPH D. LEAR.

